Seat spring



UNITED STATSy EETER J. STEINBACE, (3F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SEAT SPRING.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that LTETER J. STEINBACH, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useul Improvements in Seat Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seat springs'of the kind commonly employed for the seats of automobiles, and the Ina-in objectof the invention is to provide an improved seat spring of this character characterized by increased durability, comfortable riding qualities, and freedom from liability to distortion and derormation from use..

Other objects of the invention are, to provide a seat spring ot' the multiple coil spring type which shall permit the use of the maximum number ot springs in a given seat area; to provide a seat spring of this type which shall afford substantially uniform and equal elast-ic resistance to pressure throughout its entire upper surface; to provide ina seat spring an improved base with improved means for anchoring the lower ends oi the coil springs thereto; to provide, in a seat spring, an improved means for bonding tlie upper ends of the coil springs to each other and to the top marginal trame of the spring; to provide, in a seat spring, an improved means for anchoring the sides ofthe top trame ot the spring to the base so as to prevent lateral sagging or displacement ot the upper portion et' the spring without intertering with the action of the coils; and, in general. to provide a simple and inexpensive seat spring readily adapted to cooperate with the usual cloth or leather covering and upper seat pad'aud to produce a minimum ot wear on the latter in use.

Other objects and attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in this art from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein l have illustrated a practical and approved form of the invention as embodied in a square spring for an individual seat, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view partly in hori- Zontal section showing my improved seat spring;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation; y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryv detail showing the method of anchoring the lower ends ot the guy chains.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates a Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Mar. 21, 19.22.

Application led September 29, 1921. `Serial No. 504,225.

rectangular base plateof sheetnietal, from which are cut and struck upwardly a plurality of groups of 'tongues 6 and 7. The tongues of each of these groups as herein shown are Jfour in number disposed ninety degrees apart around a common center which coincides with the vertical axis of one of the springs hereinafter described. These groups of tongues are arrangedv in alternating order 1n intersecting rows lying at right angles to each other. 8 and 9 designate conical coil springs, the springs 8 resting at their wide ends on the base 5 and the springs 9 being relatively inverted and resting at their narrow ends on the base 5. The springs 8 and 9 are likewise arranged in alternating relation in intersecting rows disposed at right angles to eachother. The wide lower'most coil of each of the springs 8 is securely anchored to the base plate 5 by means of the tongues 6 which are bent outwardly and downwardly to overlie the same; and the narrow lower-I most coils of the springs 9 are likewise anchored to the base plate 5 by the tongues 7. By reason of this relative inversion of adjacent springs in each of the rows of the two intersecting series, it is possible to dispose the springs in'very close and compact rela tion with their sides obliquely overlapping each other,4 and to use, in a structure of a Agiven size, a much larger number of springs than is possible where all of the springs are mounted on the base at either their wid-e or their narrow ends.

1() designates a top frame member,- conveniently formed of a rod bent to the rectangular form shown, with its meeting ends united by a sleevel or ferrule 11, this frame member having substantially the same marginal form and dimensions as the base plate 5. anchored to and extending between opposite sides of the frame 10 are two series of bonding wires'lZ and 13 disposed at right angles to each other, one wire ot each group crossing the top coil of each spring and anchored to the latter by integral loops 14. ln assembling, the bonding wires 12 and 13 first` have the loops 14 formed in them by suitable mandrels. and the upper coils of the springs arethen threaded through these loops. r@he -gends of the bonding wires 12 and 13 are anchored to the opposite sides of the longitudinal frame 10 as by beingcoiled around the latter. as shown` at 15.

By the use of these bonding wires 1Q and 13 the upper ends of the coil springs are acoryyield in any direction independentlyotl the other springs oftlie set. l

The structure as thus fa1"describe`d is well .suited and adapted to effectuate the main purpose of the invention. But in order to oppose -thetendency of the upper portion of the structure to bend laterally relatively to the lower portion, whichsometimesoccurs in comparatively deep springs ot this general type when. the load is imposed principally upon the edge of the structure, I anchor the.

. four sides ofthe topframe 10 to the base plateby guy chains-16, of which, in the present instance two aie shown connected to -l ea h side of the framel() somewhat inwardly from the corners of the latter and extending inwardLv and down jardlv and anchored at their lower ends to the base plate 5: .this anchoring of the guy chains at their lower ends being conveniently effected by means ot' hooks 1T (Fig. 3) engaged with the margins of the openings from which ythe tongues 6 are struck. Manitestly the guy chains 16 do not interfere at all with the vertical or up' and down movements of the springs 8 and 9, but they effectively check any sul stantial or excessive lateial movement in any direction ot' the top frame 10,4 and thus prevent any lpermanent deformation ot the springs in the outer rows. The described structure produces a seat spring `ot great resiliency and one wherein tlie cushioning ei"- ect is very .closely and uniformly distrib- 5 uted throughout the entire area ot the seat.

"The component parts of the structure are united so securelytliat it is impossible tor any part to work loose and get out of' place. The structure likewise provides a maximum `of strength to resilicntly support superimposedweights while at the saine time it is -suilicieiitly light in weight to 'enable `the seat in which it is contained to be handled x'ci les or sacrificing any of the advantages the invention. llenos, I do not limit the latterto the precise structure illustrated, ex-v lar lat sheet metal base-plate` a top frame" consisting ot'a rod bent in rectangular torni and ot substantially the same marginal di-v mensioiis as said baseplate, ymeans ior unit ing the meeting vends of said rodi conical springs mounted on said base-plate inrows parallel with the edges of the latter, adjacent springs in each row being relatively inverted and in such close juxtaposition that their sides obliquely overlap` 'each other, and means for `bonding the upper ends of said springs to each other and to said top frame; said springs being wholly held by said haseu plate and said'bonding means.

2. Aseat spring. comprising a rectangular flat sheet metal base-plate.)` a top iframe consisting` ot' a rod bent in rectangular torni and of substantially the same marginal di-l mensions as said base-plate,'iiieans for coupling tlie-meeting ends' of said rod, conical lsprings stepped on said base-plate in .rows pa allel with the edges ot the latter. adjacent springs in each row being relatively inverted and in such close juxtaposition that their sides lobliquely overlap-each other. integral tongues on said base-plate in clamping engagement with the lowermost coils ot said.

trame member to said base-plate inwardly oi" the margin of the latter.

i. ln a scat spring oi the character described, the combination of a fiat rectangular base-plate, a group of coil springs mounted.-

in rectangulaily intersecting rows on said base-plate, a top trame consisting of a rod bent in rectangular forni `and of substantially the saine dimensions as said baseplate, bondingr wires connectingthe top coils ot' said springs to each other and to the sides of said top frame,and downwardly and inwardly inclined guy chains connecting the sides otv said top frame to said base-plate inwardly of the edges of the latter. Y

'PETER J. STENBCH. 

